Left HCMC for Mekong Delta at 730am. This is a very popular trip. The bus was completely filled with punters. We did the touristy routine of stopping at villages producing coconut candies, rice wraps, local honey and more candies at 1030am. Stopped for lunch and enjoyed a traditional vietnamese folk performance. Spent the next 3 hours on a passenger boat cruising Mekong Delta river to Can Tho. In between, we had to transfer to our bus and also took a ferry across the lower mekong delta plains to get to Can Tho.

It was then I realised that I had left my passport at the hotel reception. I was the only one in the group to opt for homestay at Cai Rang instead of hotel accomodation at Can Tho. It took another 30 mins of motorcycle ride to get to Cai Rang where I frantically called Phong Hotel. Fortunately Phong hotel had my passport and will safekeep til I return to HCMC. Otherwise I might have to call Vietnam home for awhile

The homestay at Cai Rang (along Cai Rang River, still within Can Tho) was basic traditional but still fabulous. Minh Viet, a high school chemistry teacher owns this guesthouse. It was largely constructed out of bamboo frames lined with attap leaves. The floor was made of concrete with a low lying brickwall surround. No air con but a fan. And the beds had mosquito nets over. I already had few mozzie attacks - must had been a singaporean dessert treat to the local mozzies.

Took a bicycle ride out the village, snapping shots along the way. The lifestyle here was simple - kids were flying kites and men snoozing on their hammocks at 6pm. The unfortunate sights were the rubbish everywhere and locals treating the river like a natural refuse bin. I felt like the only foreigner in town, I got smiles from practically everyone. Dinner with Minh Viet and family was rice vermicelli rolls with beef hotpot and cold salads. Tried their homebrewed rice whiskey, man...at 30% alcohol content, I sipped it out of politeness. The blokes were downing shots. The entire family of Minh Viet was at the table. Its like a party, he said.

There was nothing to see at night with no street lights and the stream was pitch black, so I retired early to write my journal. Minh Viet was watching TV in his hammock, not bothered by mozzies. Maybe the mozzies had already died from acute alcohol poisoning.